Acting to reduce climate change by Tori Peglar
University of Colorado Alumni Association

Do the threats of global warming like rising seas and temperatures lead you to take immediate action or merely worry?

Lisa Dilling, a CU-Boulder climate policy analyst, says that emphasizing the disasters that could take place as a result of climate change does not lead individuals to make changes in their lives. Instead she says climate issues must be tied more directly to immediate concerns of people, businesses and governments.

“Most people don’t connect driving their car or flipping on a light switch with emitting CO2 into the atmosphere,” Dilling says. “And climate change is not experienced in the same ways as immediate problems like job losses or traffic jams.”

For instance, while 90 percent of the U.S. population has heard of global warming and many judged it to be “serious or very serious,” only one-third finds the issue “worrisome,” according to studies cited by Dilling. One exception, says Dilling, is Alaskan residents who are now experiencing the effects of warming temperatures and feel more of a sense of urgency to act.

The good news is some cities, businesses and universities are taking stands on greenhouse gas emissions by linking the issue with more immediate concerns like improving quality of life and saving money. For instance, CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. “Bud” Peterson announced in February plans to earmark $250,000 annually starting this fiscal year for projects aimed at reducing campus energy use, especially electrical consumption.

Read more about Dilling’s work and actions related to climate change taken by the Boulder campus.
Tori Peglar (MJour'00) is the assistant editor of the Coloradan and loves working on campus.